The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in optic arrangements for binocular visioned people which is useful particularly for video cameras and other devices in which an electronic view finder imaging system is provided. The present invention depends on the phenomena of the human brain which uses images viewed by one eye with images viewed by the other eye to superpose an optically produced boundary frame image upon the image of a scene viewed through the other eye. The boundary image in a preferred embodiment is surrounded by an optical void as a black or nonvisible background of neutral background immediately surrounding the light forming the boundary frame. The boundary setting device for binocular visioned persona according to this invention includes a low level light source in a predetermined geometric pattern such as rectangular or circular which, in the preferred embodiment, is an electronic image produced on a cathode ray tube (CRT), or a back lighted liquid crystal display device. When the boundary geometric pattern from the low level light source is viewed through one eye of the observer and a scene containing a section to be encompassed within the boundary is viewed by the other eye of the observer, an optically fused image is presented to the observer with the light source means having the predetermined configuration bounding the section being encompassed in the scene.
When the video camera has a zoom lens attached, and a zoom lens control circuit, the boundary frame is adjusted contemporaneously to encompass a smaller or larger portion of the scene as presented to the human observer. In other words, when the boundary frame is rectangularly shaped, the frame actually reduces or increases in size since the eye of the observer which is viewing the scene unaided, does not see any enlargement or reduction in image, the frame therefore is increased in size or reduced in size to encompass smaller or larger portion of the actual image which is presented to the brain of the observer.
Thus, the invention provides an apparatus and method of presenting to the video camera operator, and typically a home video camera operator, the scene as fully viewed through one eye and a boundary setting device which is oriented with the camera and viewed through the other eye. Thus, when one eye is positioned on the electronic view finder and viewing the boundary frame which is an artificial light established in the view finder electronic CRT, the operator can get a significantly better perspective and feel for what he is including or not including in his video filming. Furthermore, by adjusting the size of the boundary frame according to and contemporaneous with adjustments in the zoom lens, the camera operator is provided with a boundary frame that is adjusted in size against an enlarged field of vision. Moreover, a switch is provided so that the electronic view finder can be operated in the normal fashion and the boundary setting device of this invention disabled, thus providing the user with a low cost alternative view finder system.